Salsa music and dancing have been around for sometime now in Malta, probably around about the time that Fuego Salsa Bar was founded in 2000 in St Julian’s.
This was when Edlin Joseph and “Oxley of London” were invited to teach in Malta for the first time. Local ballroom teachers have added their own flavours to the dance at some point over the years. But it wasn’t until these guest teachers arrived on the island that the dance itself started to become widespread.
The other invited teachers over the last six years have included Havana Cowboy, Garcia Baxe, Nigel Maye, Rohan Brown, Nicolai and Helen, Henry Vina, Castro Wilson and Zane.
The teaching of Salsa dancing on the island was also held at the ´Sabor´ bar where they had Julio from Peru teaching for a short period.
CUBA ...Salsa in the 1880
Salsa has many roots but the style that gave rise to and shaped it more than any other is Son. Son is the most important and influential music to have evolved in the 20th century Cuba.
Son originated in the 1880s from the Changuia form of music rooted in African music, brought to Cuba by the African Slaves in the early 1880s and carried on by their descendants.
In the 1920s, Son was the most popular music and dance for Cubans and by synthesising African and Spanish music styles; Son essentially became Cuba’s national music.
Various musicians developed and expanded the Son into Son montuno (or mambo) – which brought about the mambo in the 1940s, influencing Latin popular music for years to come.
African American big band jazz also stimulated the formation of the Latin big bands in the 1940s, expanding the mambo section of the Son, creating its own style and form, the first major “cross-over” from Afro-Caribbean music.
The cha cha cha and the mambo, both internationally popular, were also incorporated into this style, forming the foundation of “Salsa.”
The term “Salsa” began to circulate in the late 1960s as a cover term describing a range of popular Latin musical styles including a broad range of musical genres, instrumental combinations and cultural influences, ranging from Cuban son montuno to bebop, cubop, Puerto Rican bomba and plena, Dominican merengue, Cuban Yoruba ritual music and Afro-American jazz and rhythm and blues. The main source being Cuban son montuno.
Salsa in Malta now
From its humble beginnings the Malta Salsa Dance School is now the biggest Salsa school in Malta today. Malta Salsa dance classes run every week and anyone can join at anytime. Because it is ideal for any age group and is cross cultural, learning Salsa is a great way to stay fit, get to know people and generally have an excellent time, whether you are on your own or in a crowd.
The Registration for Absolute Beginners salsa lessons starts Sunday 7 January.
Time-table for registrations
Sunday 7 January – Garden View Holiday complex multi-purpose room, Swieqi at 8pm
Sunday 7 January – Fuego, St Julian’s at 10pm)
Thursday 11 January – Dance/fitness studio,Cynergi, next to Eden Century Cinema, 8pm
Friday 12 January – Pilates studios, Hotel Fortina, Sliema at 7pm
Saturday 13 January – Livingwell Health Clubs, Hilton, Portomaso at 4pm.
Call 99272841 for more information about Salsa in Malta or email [email protected]. website: www.maltasalsa.com. The classes run weekly and you can join whenever you want.